The Department of Transportation (DoTr) said Tuesday they would provide rental subsidies to informal settler families (ISF) that will be affected by railway projects next year.

During the House appropriation hearing, Transport Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said they had funds allocated for the relocation of informal settler families in their proposed P167 billion budget for 2023.

“The country’s loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) provides funds for relocation, a P3,000 to P10,000 rental subsidy, and payment for structures and plants that would be removed due to the project construction,” he said.

Chavez said the relocation of ISF residing along Manila to Calamba, where the North-South Commuter Railway will be constructed, was jointly funded by the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The railway is expected to be completed by 2028.

“We are expecting the project to be accelerated because under the Asian Development Bank loan agreement with the government, there will be interim rental subsidies provided worth P3,000, P5,000, to as high as P10,000,” Chavez told the panel.

“For every informal settler families identified from Manila to Calamba, Landbank will provide funds so they can relocate. That’s 1.5 years. They will be given one and a half years rental period while the NHA (National Housing Authority) builds the houses where they will settle,” he added.

Chavez revealed the number of families to be relocated in each area.

From Manila to Malolos, where the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is located, 2,448 were informal settler families.

Meanwhile, from Malolos to Clark where they will add six stations, 864 were informal settlers. Of this number, 232 had been relocated.

On the other hand, there were 183 ISFs found along the path of the Metro Manila Subway and all were given new homes.

DoTr announced over the weekend that parts of Meralco Avenue will be closed starting October 3 when the construction for the Metro Manila Subway starts.

“The road closure will take effect until 2028 and will cover the front section of Capitol Commons up to Shaw Boulevard,” DoTr said in a statement.

From Clark to Calamba, 6,200 informal settler families were Identified.

Informal settler families residing near the track of PNR Manila to Malolos and Malolos to Clark were moved to Valenzuela.

In DoTr’s proposed budget, P113.987 billion or around 81.6 percent will go to railway projects. Jaspearl Tan/DMS